franco b wrote:SteveZee wrote:Lastly I've got some reading for you. It's by Richard Dawkins.
Aside from some commentary from time to time the only thing written by Richard Dawkins that I have read is "The Blind Watchmaker" which I enjoyed very much as far as it goes. Other explicators of evolutionary theory such as Stephen Jay Gould also have a lot to contribute to understanding. The widespread belief that somehow this negates religion is just wrong. The Catholic Church and most others accept the evolutionary development of man and animals as a fact.
Evolutionary theory applies to everything since it explains why and how things change over time; our economy, our bodies, our thoughts, our technology, our universe. It is the ultimate in pragmatism.
Concepts of God start to get in trouble when we attempt to define the nature of God. Some beliefs such as Taoism and our Native Americans just acknowledge a presence that can't be defined. In essence the sum total of natural law, most of which is beyond our understanding or even awareness because as human beings we are too subject to our own instincts.
Buddhism and the more mystical branches of all the major religions seek to overcome that human flaw and gain enlightenment and the ability to understand the ultimate reality which is God.
Because that path is so arduous and few will succeed the Religions give us simple rules for the conduct of life which if followed will result in a contented and fulfilled life.
That is a very thoughtfull post Richard. Thanks for that. I do have a couple of SJ Gould's books, Rocks of Ages comes to mind and Dawkins-The Selfish Gene is a good one too.
